Ore Wa Tensai Sakura: Midway
by Annie D
Summary: Follows the Identity Crisis stories. Sakura's in the team, Rukawa's still Rukawa. Um, yeah, that's it really. Oh, and lots of basketball.
1. Part 1

  
**Warnings**: Can only be read after the _Identity Crisis _fics.   
**Disclaimer**: The world of Slam Dunk revolves around Takehiko Inoue. I merely pine from a distance.   
**Notes**: This is a continuation of the _Identity Crisis _stories, and the first of the _Ore Wa Tensai Sakura _trilogy. Features basketball and a tinge of romance.   
  
  


**Ore Wa Tensai Sakura: Midway**   
Part 1 

by Annie D   
the_80s_chick@lycos.com 

  
  
  
  


Shohoku High. The basketball gym. 

"Tighter defense!" Team manager Ayako shouted at the players that had scattered the court in a practice game. "You can't be afraid if you want to block properly!" 

One of them, a freshman with a jersey bearing the number 8, tried to block Ryota, but there wasn't really much point as the short but lightning-quick captain slid past him toward the hoop. He passed the ball to Rukawa who leapt. Tall defensemen Nori and Nakajima jumped to block him, but the ball went in anyway. 

"Good shot, Rukawa!" Ayako shouted, clapping. 

Haruko nodded, little hearts sparkling in her eyes. "Rukawa-kun…" 

Sitting next to the two girls on the bench, although from the way steam was practically rising off her head it could be ascertained that she didn't want to be there, was Takemoto Sakura. She was irritated enough as it was without the stupid kitsune showing off. 

Suddenly she reached around and tugged at Anzai-sensei's chin. "Oyaji, let me play! They need the tensai on the team!" 

Ayako's fan landed sharply on her head with a _THWACK_. "Don't be so disrespectful!" 

Sakura rubbed her head. "Itai…" 

Ryota walked up to the bench and waved a hand at Sakura. "You know you can't play until the school board accepts you onto the team. Just sit there and watch." 

"Watch? Watch?!" Sakura stomped up Ryota and draped an arm over his shoulder. "Come on, Ryocchin, just a little practice… They don't have to know, right? After all, the tensai is a key player in your team… Heh heh heh…" 

Rukawa walked past. "Do'aho." 

"Nani?!" 

Ryota carefully inched away from Sakura, who looked as though she was just about ready to burst. Suddenly she leaned back and shouted at the world in general, "You won't let me play just because I'm a girl! You sexist pigs!" 

Haruko, the newest team peacemaker, walked up the Sakura and patted her on the shoulder. "I'm sure the board will let you on the team soon. Just be patient, Sakura-chan." 

_She's so sweet_, Sakura sighed inwardly. She was ready to let herself be led back to bench when she saw that Rukawa was looking at her. He seemed to be doing a lot of that these days. _That kitsune is really *really* getting on my nerves… I bet he's gloating that I haven't been let into the team yet. I must show him that I'm ready to beat him on the court!_

"Sakura, come on and sit down," Ayako said. 

Unfortunately, Sakura was not listening. _How can they not let the tensai onto the team? Only with my talent will Shohoku win the Inter High! I must practice with the team so they can see the tensai's true power!_

Sakura roared (yes, _roared_) as she charged onto the court toward a startled freshman player. 

"Sakura!" Ayako and Haruko shouted at the same time. 

Blood pounding in her ears, Sakura knocked the poor player over, grabbing the ball from him in the process, then ran dribbling for the hoop. _I am the tensai… I am the tensai…_

Ayako sweatdropped. "Oh no…" 

Sakura jumped, lifting one hand up high above her head with the ball balanced on her fingertips. _Basketball tensai Sakura… SLAM DUNK!_

She missed terribly. Only her hand and the ball that it was holding managed to briefly hit the headboard while the rest of her flew outward and smacked right into the opposite gym wall. She twitched for a moment on the wall, then landed on the floor with a loud _SPLAT_. 

All the players, and some innocent spectators in the stands, watched in shock/amusement as the ball rolled away harmlessly from her. 

"Sakura…?" Ryota said carefully. 

She jumped to her feet, apparently unharmed. Ryota readied himself, as he fully expected her to start steaming in the head and charge at the nearest person to beat them up, but instead she just stared down at her hands. 

_What's wrong with the tensai? _she wondered. _The slam dunk is my speciality!_

Haruko ran up to her. "Sakura, are you okay?" 

Sakura recovered quickly by utilising her famous insane laughter. "Don't worry, Haruko-san. I'm just a little rusty, that's all." 

Rukawa strolled past them. "You're not tall enough, do'aho." 

"Nani?" Sakura snapped, but then her eyes widened with realisation. "Haruko-san, can you measure my height?" 

With her trusty chalk and measuring tape, Haruko did as she was asked, using the wall behind the bench as a guide. Sakura stood straight against the wall patiently as Haruko marked her height, then stepped back as the measuring was done. 

Haruko peered at the tape. "178 cm." 

Sakura blanched. "Nani? Measure again!" She stood back against the wall. 

"It's still 178 cm, Sakura-chan." 

"Oh no," Sakura gasped, gripping her face in her hands. "9 centimetres difference…" 

"11 centimetres," Ayako corrected. 

As Sakura tried to calculate this on her fingers, Ayako patted her comfortingly on the back. "You're still tall, Sakura-chan, and your jumping abilities are quite good. And not to mention, you're still much taller than Ryota." 

Instantly, Ryota appeared beside her, eyes shimmering with tears. "Aya-chan, you don't like my height?" 

Sakura looked at her hands again, suddenly feeling very worried. Slowly, she leaned across and picked up a ball from the rack, then tried to grip it with one hand. She couldn't, as her fingers weren't long enough, and the ball fell down to the ground. 

"Oh no…" Sakura muttered. In a manic of flowing tears, she yelled, "Not only am I now a shortie, but my hands are so small, too! AAAAaiiiieeeeeeee!" 

"Takemoto-san." 

Sakura looked at Anzai-sensei in surprise. "Hai?" 

The old man looked at her. "You have many other talents on the court. Train them well and you will become a great player again." 

Sakura drew her lips together in determination. "Hai!" She thought wildly, _I'm at a disadvantage with my loss of height and that my hands are smaller… But I am the tensai, and I will prove that height and hand size do not matter when you have as much talent as I do! _Out loud, she laughed. "Nyahahahahahahaha!" 

Everyone stared at her. 

One of the newer plays sidled up to Rukawa and whispered, "Is she always that nuts?" 

Rukawa nodded. 

Sighs and sweatdrops all round. 

**** 

Overall, Takemoto Sakura was settling in pretty well, considering the fact that she had, until four and a half months prior, been a guy who was now dead. His name had been Sakuragi Hanamichi; her name was now Takemoto Sakura. The body switch had happened by some unexplained phenomena, but the end result was that Takemoto Sakura had become the new Shohoku basketball tensai, although technically she'd never played basketball before. 

Yes, reincarnations midway through somebody else's life can be rather confusing. 

What was currently happening was this: the Shohoku team were seeded in Block B of the Inter High eliminations, but wouldn't have to play until the final block match which was six weeks away. They had done so well the previous year and had the fighting spirit to win this year's nationals, which was fuelled even further by the return of Rukawa Kaede from the All-Japan team. 

But what's really important was this: Rukawa Kaede, Mr Ice Man himself, had fallen for Takemoto Sakura. Problem 1: Sakura's crush on Haruko. Problem 2: Haruko's crush on Rukawa. Problem 3: As improbable as it may be, Rukawa had absolutely _no idea _how to go about telling Sakura how he felt because (contrary to popular belief) he hadn't much experience in tactful romantic affairs. 

Oh, and also because Takemoto Sakura hated his guts. 

So, like all most guys in this situation (being unable to tell the girl, not the strange love triangle bit), Rukawa decided to stall. 

After all, there was no way in hell Haruko would reciprocate Sakura's feelings. And as Rukawa figured, he'd let Sakura's crush wane a bit before moving in. He told himself he'd make a move when the time was to his advantage. Besides, he still had to lead Shohoku to win nationals, and there was a tough goal if ever there was one. 

And so he decided to wait. 

***** 

"This is highly unusual, Anzai-san," the Shohoku headmaster said, peering over the top of his glasses. "There hasn't been a girl in the High School basketball league since…" 

One of the board members to the side leaned over and whispered something in his ear. 

"…since _never_, it seems," the headmaster continued. "After all, that's what the girl's basketball team is for, isn't it? They have their own league and everything." 

Standing just behind Anzai-sensei and Miyagi Ryota, Sakura looked at their headmaster in surprise. She leaned slightly toward Ayako and whispered, "There's a girl's team?" 

Ayako nodded curtly, then lifted a finger to her lips to silence Sakura. 

"Yes, Shohoku does have a girl's basketball team," Anzai-sensei told the headmaster, "but it is not a professional team, and they have not the resources nor the capability to join the Inter High. Ho ho ho. I mean no insult to the team, but Takemoto's talent is too exceptional to be wasted on simple games. She would be of greater use to the boy's team." 

Sakura puffed out her chest proudly. 

The headmaster, undaunted, adjusted his specs and continued, "You do remember what a controversy it was two years ago when you asked that she—" he gestured at Ayako, "—be made the boy's team's manager. Imagine the uproar if we let a girl on the team. The High School Basketball Association would have our necks." The headmaster gave a thin, mirthless smile. 

To which Anzai-sensei replied with one of his own infuriatingly calm smiles. "You know, it's funny, but there isn't any actual written rule against having a girl on the team. Ho ho ho." 

The headmaster's smile froze in place. "Excuse me?" 

"There is no written rule against having girls in the school team," Ryota said, lifting up a small booklet that the board members identified as the High School Basketball rulebook. "There are such rules for the girl's team, of course, but not for the main school team. Surprising, isn't it?" 

"Give us ten minutes to discuss this," the headmaster clipped. "You may wait outside." 

As the small Shohoku gathering quietly exited the conference room, Sakura tugged at Ayako's sleeve again. "I didn't know there was a girl's basketball team." 

"Well, obviously there is," Ayako said. "Haruko had planned to join it, actually, but she changed her mind." 

"Oh," Sakura said. "It doesn't seem fair though, that the girl's team doesn't compete in the Inter High." 

"They aren't that good, sadly," Ayako said. "Actually, Haruko once mentioned that she had wanted to become their new team manager originally." 

Sakura drew her lips together and narrowed her eyes. "Well, it's a good thing Haruko decided to coach the school team instead. Hey. Haruko-san's all alone in the gym with the kitsune…" 

"She is with the rest of the team. With Anzai-sensei, Aya-chan and I up here to argue your case, who's going to watch over practice? You baka," Ryota muttered. "Can't you at least keep your mind on the problem at hand? What if the board doesn't let you on the team?" 

"Of course they'll let me on the team! I'm the tensai!" Sakura insisted. 

The conference room door opened and one of the board members peeked his head out. "Excuse me, we'd like to talk to Ms Takemoto for a few minutes. Just her." 

Sakura looked at Anzai-sensei uncertainly, and he nodded. Taking a quick breath of calming air, she entered the conference room, and tried not to jump when it slid shut. She blinked slowly as she took in the numerous pairs of eyes that were watching her closely. _Wow, I didn't notice that there were so many of them…_

"So, Ms Takemoto," the headmaster said, clasping his hands together in front of him in what he thought was an intimidating manner. "We'd like you tell us, in your own words, why we should let you on the team." 

For some unknown reason, Sakura's memory jumped back to a single moment caught in time: when they, the old Shohoku of the previous year, were leaving for the Inter High. There had been about five to ten minutes of just standing still on the platform waiting for the train, and no one had said anything because the anticipation was something that could not be expressed. Not properly, anyway. 

"Because my heart is with the team," Sakura found herself saying. Then she smiled. 

One of the board members, who happened to be a woman, shuffled her papers in what appeared to be a decisive way. "That's enough for me. Shall we vote now?" Before the headmaster could protest, she continued, "All those in favour of Takemoto-san being given permission to join the school basketball team, raise your hands. Excellent. Congratulations, Takemoto-san, you've made the team." 

Sakura looked at her in surprise. "I have?" 

The woman nodded. "And don't you worry about a thing. We'll make the appeal to the High School Basketball Association on your behalf." 

"Really?" Sakura asked. 

The headmaster coughed softly. "Please understand, that because this exception has been made for you, you'd better… How shall I say it… Live up to expectations?" 

_The tensai always does_. Sakura's head bobbed in a nod. 

"Ganbatte," the female board member added under her breath. 

"Hai! Arigato gozaimashte!" She bowed sharply. A wide smile drew itself across her face, and she practically flew out the conference room. 

"I take it they let you on the team?" Anzai-sensei asked. 

Sakura gave a little nod. She turned to Ryota, eyes sparkling. "Now will you let me practice?" 

Despite himself, Ryota smirked. "Let's go. The team awaits." 

***** 

"Pass pass pass pass!" Sakura yelled, waving madly at Ryota. The ball came flying toward Sakura and she caught it stiffly, but then the trademark tensai grin crept onto her features. 

"Let's go!" she shouted, and started dribbling toward the hoop. 

_I am the tensai… I am the tensai…_

"Sakura, don't try to dunk!" Ryota shouted as he saw that that was exactly what she wanted to do. "For crying out loud, pass it! Pass!" 

_Height doesn't matter… Height doesn't matter…_

Sakura had done this before, even if it was in her past life. Haruko had taught her to do the lay-up, which was (although she would not admit it) the best way she could score in a game since she wasn't particularly famous for her long shots. Her arms and legs went on something akin to auto-pilot, knowing exactly when stop running, when to bend her knees, when to reach out. 

_The tensai dunk!_

And Rukawa was in front of her, jumping up in defence. 

_No._

He tapped the ball, and it rebounded off the rim. 

"Rebound!" Ayako shouted from the bench. 

Instinct led Sakura to jump, and she did, reaching out automatically for the ball. But, to her ever-growing horror, she found that the highest she could jump was nowhere close to Rukawa and Nakajima who were the two tallest members of their team. Sakura watched in stunned silence as Rukawa caught the ball, just barely pulling away from Nakajima. 

"No!" Sakura shouted, both her arms shooting out toward the kitsune in an angry reflex. 

Rukawa stumbled back slightly as he landed, but kept the grip on the ball. Sakura landed, too, but she was staring at the floor. 

"Charging! Sakura!" Ayako yelled. 

Sakura raised her face, her eyes in a daze. Nakajima patted her on the shoulder. "Sakura-san, why don't you let me handle the rebounds?" 

Quietly, Sakura said, "I'm not tall enough, am I?" 

"Sakura…" Ryota started. 

Sakura shrugged off Ryota's hand and walked toward the bench. _Not tall enough… Not tall enough… _She glared at Anzai-sensei and told at him, "Height does matter, oyaji. It does. Height was all I had." 

With rather jerky movements, Sakura pulled off the thin spare jersey from over her sports shirt and threw it on the ground. She drew a hasty breath, and, without looking at Haruko who would be sure to be disappointed with her, quietly walked out of the gym. 

***** 

After Sakura had left, practice had gone on in a rather subdued atmosphere, especially for Rukawa who was feeling rather concerned about the state that Sakura had left the gym in (not that anyone would notice since his face barely ever changed expression). 

He wished practice would hurry up because he had to find Sakura and somehow explain to her that she could still be a good basketball player even if she didn't have the height she once had. A simple task theoretically, but not when the one wanting to give the advice was known for not saying more words than necessary and the one to receive the advice wouldn't believe anything the former had to say. 

"I'll find Sakura-chan," Rukawa heard Haruko tell Ryota as he was leaving the gym. "She'll have cooled off by now, and I'm sure I can explain things to her." 

_Not you, again_. Rukawa cursed inwardly, and jogged to his bike in the hopes of being able to find Sakura first. 

It annoyed Rukawa to no end the fact that Haruko _would _probably be able to talk sense into Sakura better than he could. Haruko always had Sakura's full undivided attention, and she didn't even have to do anything other than smile a bit. Sakura only noticed _him _when he made a rather spectacular attention-grabbing move on court or insulted her in passing, which wasn't much comfort since such events only made the glowing hatred Sakura had for him to ooze out of her pores in extra volume. 

Blind luck or hidden instinct, Rukawa did find Sakura first. She was at a basketball court (surprise surprise), the same one that he had watched Haruko teach Sakuragi to do a lay-up the previous year. _Only a year? I could have sworn it was much longer._

The sight before him made his heart ache. 

Sakura was jumping. Sweat lined her face and plastered her red hair to her skin. She was breathing heavily from exhaustion and the tense muscles in her legs looked like that at any moment they were going to cramp out on her in protest. 

"I am the tensai," Sakura said through gritted teeth, and jumped again. She reached up as high as she could, straining arms, back and legs, but only her fingers managed to slam against the headboard before she dropped to land. "I am the tensai." She jumped again, crying out in effort of her exhausted legs as she slammed her fingers even harder against the headboard. 

Her shoes squeaked as she landed. She took a few breaths, then looked up at the headboard. Her fingers had left marks alongside the hoop as they had disturbed the dust and dirt, and they marked the height she could jump to. 

Still not high enough to dunk. Lay-up, yes, but not dunk. And definitely not high enough to take rebounds. 

"K'so," Sakura cursed, leaning forward to rest her hands on her knees. She breathed heavily, then suddenly choked a sob. 

Rukawa stepped out onto the court behind her line of sight and carefully approached her. His first instinct was to hug her – she sure needed one desperately – but he knew that if he did that, she'd punch him and walk away or worse yet, laugh at him then walk away. 

So he kicked her. 

Sakura scrambled off the court floor and glared at him. "Teme kitsune!" 

_You're still so stupid. You call yourself a basketball tensai but you still don't understand how important you really are._

"What do you want?" Sakura demanded, wiping the sweat off her forehead. "Come to laugh at me?" 

Rukawa responded by spinning his basketball on his right forefinger. 

"Hah!" Sakura snorted. "You think you can take the team to win nationals on your own, don't you? You think you don't need the tensai? Well, you're wrong. You're wrong!" 

_Good. Fight me. That always gives you the spirit to play._

Sakura paused to take a breath, then started shouting at him again. "You know what I can't stand about you, Rukawa? It's your attitude. You think you're better than everyone else, and that you're the star and you alone control the game, and no one else matters. You play for yourself, not for the team. Everyone else may praise you for that, but not me. You're selfish!" She paused to breathe a bit, then continued, "I hate that you underestimate everyone else around you and play for your own means. And do you know what playing like that will do to you? You'll be alone. On the team or wherever, you'll be alone! _Alone_!" 

Rukawa almost dropped his ball. 

"Go away, kitsune," Sakura said, now almost wheezing for breath. "And don't get smug. I'm coming to practice tomorrow." She turned away from him and walked off. 

Rukawa stared at the retreating back of Sakura, heart drumming insistently beneath his ribcage. Anyone else who had been insulted that way would probably be teeming into the angerfest, but not Rukawa. 

For one thing, no one had ever told him off for being a good basketball player. Well, sure, Sakuragi had done it before many times, but those times had always simple been blind insults fuelled by envy. This was different, this was… Fact. What she had said was the core of the absolute truth of who he was. 

_You know me._

The figure of Sakura was shrinking off into the distance. 

_You see me. You see me for who I am. No one else ever does. No one has ever bothered to._

If there had been any doubts about it, they disappeared instantly. Rukawa was in love with Sakura. 

***** 

Sakura sniffled a bit, feeling totally sorry for herself but at the same time incensed with anger. _Stupid kitsune,_ she thought. _I'll show him. I'll practice even harder. I'll beat him on court with my current height, and then he'll *have* to agree that I am the basketball tensai._

She idly stomped on a flying piece of paper. 

"Sakura-chan?" 

Sakura turned her head. "Ha-haruko-san!" 

Haruko ran toward her from across the street in that cute little way that made Sakura blush across her nose. 

"Are you still upset?" Haruko asked carefully. 

"Upset, no, hahahahahahahaha! Why should I be upset?" Sakura said cheerfully. 

"Oh, I'm so glad, I thought you were having second thoughts about rejoining the basketball team," Haruko said, sighing with relief. 

_She's so concerned for me… Running all the way from school just to find me… _Sakura smiled. "Of course I won't leave the team. I just, um… needed to think a bit." 

"So are you okay now?" Her eyes were wide and hopeful. 

"Yes, of course!" 

"So you will be coming to practice tomorrow?" 

"No question. The team needs the tensai now!" Sakura laughed again, hands on hips. 

Haruko smiled warmly. "Thank you, Sakura-chan." The girl then turned her head this way and that. "Err, did you see Rukawa-kun? I thought I saw his bike head this way a bit earlier." 

Sakura carefully plastered a smile on her face. "Oh no, I haven't seen him. I'm sure he's far away by now." 

"Oh, okay," said Haruko, she looked a bit disappointed, but she quickly pushed her smile back onto her face. "See you in school tomorrow. Ja ne." 

"Ja ne, Haruko-san." As soon as Haruko had turned away, Sakura scowled. _The tensai will play so well that even Haruko-san will forget about the stupid busybody kitsune. Hmph._   



	2. Part 2

**Ore Wa Tensai Sakura: Midway**   
Part 2 

by Annie D   
the_80s_chick@lycos.com 

  
  


Only two people were thinking about the situation with Sakura's height and how it would hinder her rebounding abilities which were the basis of her talent on the court. One was of course Sakura, who kept telling herself that she'd practice her jumping more, even if it meant straining her legs to their maximum every day, because the tensai does not care for a little pain. The other was Rukawa, who had a more logical approach to the problem. 

And so the next day Rukawa waited, leaning against the wall of the gym while idling passing a basketball from one hand to the other in a perfect centrefold pose that made his fans swoon from the abovehead audience seats, not that he noticed. 

Practice was about to start, although some of the players had yet to arrive. He knew that Sakura would arrive late like she usually did (more so now that she was no longer a freshman and didn't have to clean up the gym beforehand), and that suited well with what he was about to do. 

Haruko entered the gym, talking with Ayako. Approaching the bench, the two then separated ways, Ayako going to talk to some of the players while Haruko stood alone near the wall. Bracing himself for the onslaught of overly-sparkling eyes that was imminent, Rukawa walked over to the short-haired girl and tapped her on the shoulder. 

Haruko turned around, and sure enough she started blushing furiously. "Ru-Rukawa-kun?" 

"Takemoto's height," he said, trying to minimise the number of words that needed to come out of his mouth. He didn't want the girl to get ideas just because he was talking to her. 

"H-hai," stammered Haruko. "It's okay, I talked to her yesterday, she's coming back." 

Rukawa clenched his jaw briefly. "Train her as a point guard." 

Haruko's eyebrows raised. "Point guard? O-oh, yes… Like Ryota-san. She does have the stamina for it, and she won't have to rely on her height as much… Point guard, good idea, Rukawa-kun!" 

Rukawa nodded, then walked away. 

***** 

"Absolutely not!" Ryota snapped. "I'm the point guard!" 

"No, no, no…" Ayako said quickly. "_Train _her as one. Get her to stop relying on her height and more on her speed and stamina. Goodness knows she has plenty of those." 

"It was Rukawa's idea," Haruko said proudly, still dazed that he had spoken to her. Rukawa had spoken to _her_! Personally! She giggled. "Isn't it a good idea, Anzai-sensei?" 

"Hm, hm. It would do Takemoto good." 

"What would to me good?" 

All four heads turned to Sakura, who was standing in the threshold of the gym doorway, eyes wide. She walked toward them and leaned inward into the quartet mini-huddle, peeking her ears open. 

"Ryota is going to give you some special training," said Ayako, thumping Sakura on the back. 

"Special training?" Sakura echoed. 

"Point guard training," said Ryota, who still looked like he didn't want to go through with it, but with Ayako forcing the other way, there wasn't really much of an option for him. "Quicken your reflexes, get your eyes open to the team plays, that kind of thing." 

Sakura looked at each of them, then at Anzai-sensei. "Uh… wha?" 

Anzai-sensei nodded. "You have good stamina, Takemoto. Point guard training will help you improve that strength." 

Sakura frowned. "But I'm a power forward." 

"Yes, you are still the power forward, Sakura-chan, but—" said Haruko, getting the taller girl's full attention, "—you have extra stamina that needs to be put to good use. Your reflexes are quite good already, and not to mention since your arms are, er, thinner now, you're built just right for a point guard." 

"I'm still the point guard," Ryota grumbled, but Ayako thumped him over the head with her fan. 

"The point guard guides the rest of the team," Haruko continued. "The control of the ball in the centre court depends on the point guard, who also needs to be able to judge the players of the other team well. Remember Ryota-san's steals always change the flow of the game?" 

Sakura nodded, thinking it over. 

Ryota gritted his teeth and whispered to Ayako, "She's not getting my job. You know there can't be two point guards on a team." 

Ayako whispered back, "I know, Ryota-san. But we just need to get her to stop trying to dunk and rebound all the time. Divert her attention." 

"So what do you think, Sakura-chan?" Haruko asked. She leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially, "It wouldn't be too much to say that the point guard controls both attack _and _the defense and as such is key to the game control." 

Sakura's mouth widened into an open grin. "I will do my best, Haruko-san! Special point guard training it is! Finally you are accepting the talent of the tensai! Hahahahahahahaha!" 

Ayako sighed with relief. _Thank goodness she's still a simple-minded idiot. _She turned her head just in time to see Rukawa nod briefly, but not at anyone in particular. 

***** 

Two weeks to Shohoku's final block match of the Inter High eliminations and Sakura had settled in pretty well into her role as a power forward - point guard hybrid, still blissfully unaware that the reason she had been given the task was not "to use her tensai powers as widely as possible" as she continuously claimed, but to reduce the pressure she would have otherwise placed on herself to take the rebounds. 

Although not consciously, Sakura may have _subconsciously _noticed it, because she had started calling herself not the Rebound Queen but the Basketball Thief (steal = thief, geddit? Ha ha ha). 

"Watch out, the tensai is on the move!" Sakura shouted as the opposing team of their intra-Shohoku practice game started their offence. 

"Remember, Sakura, watch the hands!" Haruko shouted from the bench. 

Ryota cursed as the always overconfident Sakura's eyes glittered. 

Yasuda tried to pass to Rukawa, but Sakura dived forward and stole the ball midway. She laughed hysterically as she charged in the opposite direction. 

Although annoyed that the ball was no longer in his team's possession, Ryota felt a flicker of pride. He had been teaching her the basics of point guarding for a very short time, but once again Sakura had surprised all of them by learning ultra-quick. It would have been even quicker if Sakura didn't keep complaining or picking fights with him all the time. 

"Jimi!" Sakura shouted, and passed the ball to Nakajima, who made the shot that sailed in. 

"Great pass, Sakura-chan!" Haruko cheered. 

Sakura scratched her head and blushed. "It was nothing, Haruko-san." 

Unnoticed to all, Rukawa's eyes flicked briefly in Sakura's direction. Although they were, as always, the same icy blue, one could just barely read something akin to satisfaction or pride within them. 

"I think we're ready for the first game, don't you?" Anzai-sensei asked Ayako. 

"Hai, sensei," agreed Ayako, nodding firmly. "Should I tell them now?" 

"Hm, hm." 

"Team, attention please!" Ayako shouted. Everyone quieted down and turned to her. "Next Monday we're going to the city centre to watch the Shoyo-Miuradai game. Anyone who wants to follow please be in the gym by 8 o'clock." The way she said _anyone-who-wants-to-follow _clearly meant _absolutely-everyone-and-no-exceptions_, but that was a-given. 

"Ooooh, Shoyo," Sakura said, nodding to herself. "We shall beat them again, with the tensai's new power – Hahahahahahaha!" 

Haruko fiddled with her fingers nervously. "Shoyo are in our block, aren't they?" 

Ryota nodded at her. "So it's high chances that there'll be the ones we face up against in the final block match. We'd better go see what their new team is like." 

***** 

Monday. The Shohoku basketball team packed into a train heading to the city centre to make their first public appearance. 

The trip itself was rather typical. Various players either read magazines or tried to pick up girls. Ryota spent most of the time talking with Ayako. Anzai-sensei just… sat there. Sakura popped gum, humming her theme song under her breath. Rukawa slept. Haruko gazed adoringly at Rukawa. 

Same old, same old. 

Within the sports centre things went pretty much as expected. The civilian audience members oohed and aahed the height of the players (and Sakura sulked a bit before telling herself that she'd show everyone her true power on the court later), while various whispers of recognition passed around and such. 

"We sit over there!" Ayako said, pointing. 

"Wah, things look so different," Sakura commented. 

"That's because you're shorter," Ryota teased, which earned him a smack behind the head. 

"Oh, it's Shohoku!" a familiar voice exclaimed. It was Hikoichi, still armed with his trusty pen and notebook. Behind him stood the full Ryonan team with Taoka-sensei, all of whom (except Taoka-sensei) were donned in dark Ryonan basketball jackets. 

"Anzai-sensei," said Taoka, bowing before the old man. 

"Taoka-san, it's a pleasure to see you again," said Anzai-sensei. "Ho ho ho ho." 

While the two coaches made on with their chatter, Ryota and Sendoh stepped forward to shake hands. 

"I hope we meet on the court, Miyagi-san," said Sendoh with a little smile. 

"So do I, Sendoh-san," agreed Ryota, who gave a cheeky little smirk of his own. 

Sakura looked at Sendoh up and down. She pointed at him, then asked Haruko, "Is he the Ryonan captain now?" 

"Hai," replied Haruko. "It's kind of expected, really." 

"Miss, you don't know Sendoh-san?" Hikoichi exclaimed in fanboy horror. "He's the best—" 

"Don't embarrass me, Hikoichi," Sendoh said mildly, waving off the boy. His eyes moved up briefly to Rukawa's glaring ones – the ice-man probably plotting how to beat him rotten – before returning to Ryota. "I heard about Sakuragi. I'm sorry." 

Sakura opened her mouth to tell him who she was, but Ayako quickly thwacked her with the paper fan. Ayako mouthed clearly, NO. 

Ryota nodded at Sendoh, his face carefully blank. "He was a good friend." 

"And a great player," said Sendoh. "I was looking forward to playing against him again." 

Sakura looked at Sendoh through narrowed eyes. _You *are* going to play against me again, spikey-smiley. And you shall see the tensai's power has not diminished at all…_

Ryota nodded, then his mouth twitched into a smile. "And don't think that because now we don't have Akagi, we can't beat you." 

Sendoh equalled the smile. "Don't think that because now we don't have Uozomi, _we_ can't beat _you_." 

***** 

"Who was that red-head girl, you think?" Hikoichi asked Sendoh after they had settled into their seats that were not that far across from the Shohoku team's. "Another team manager? Yo-check-ya!" 

"Doesn't look like it, Hikoichi," said Sendoh, who turned to see said red-head girl argue with Rukawa over the seating arrangement. Ayako's trusty paper fan came to the rescue, and the girl finally settled on sitting between Ryota and Rukawa, although she didn't look too happy about it and kept glancing at Haruko, who was sitting between Rukawa and Ayako. 

"Red hair… Do you think maybe she's a relative of Sakuragi's?" Hikoichi asked. 

Sendoh pondered it. "Maybe." 

The Shoyo-Miuradai game was pretty interesting in its first half, although Sendoh had to admit that the team didn't really have the same zest that they had when Fujima was around. The Shoyo best member line-up, lead by now captain Ito, had the same advantage of height but somehow lacked the coordination and control that Fujima had brought to the team. 

But for some strange reason, Sendoh found himself watching the Shohoku team almost as often as he was watching the court. 

The red-head girl was familiar… Not physically, because Sendoh was pretty sure that he had never seen her before, but the Sakuragi resemblance in other ways was just simply outstanding. 

Like when at one point during the game a Miuradai player had told a Shoyo player that, "We will beat you and then get our revenge on the 'freak winners' Shohoku!" In response Ryota and the girl had leapt to their feet and started shouting at the Miuradai players. 

"How dare you call us freak winners, you're just jealous that we whooped your asses!" the girl had shouted. 

"Beat them, Shoyo!" Ryota shouted. 

"And then you will see the true power of the tensai when—" And girl was cut off by Ayako's paper fan. The girl had argued a bit more with Ayako, waving her arms as she pointed frantically at the Miuradai players, but then Haruko had said something that finally shut the red-head up and caused her to sit down again without much fuss. 

_Sakuragi… _Sendoh wondered, watching the red head girl, whose eyebrows were now scowling dangerously as she followed the game closely. 

A tingly sensation at the back of his neck made Sendoh's eye move a little further past the girl to the person in the next seat, and he found himself being subjected to a blast of icy blue. 

"Whoa, Rukawa!" Sendoh exclaimed out loud, chuckling a bit under his breath. 

"Huh, Sendoh-san?" Hikoichi asked, turning away from the game to see what Sendoh had been looking at. Then he shrieked in surprise while sweatdropping wildly. "Rukawa-san looks so angry! He must be feeling very competitive this year." 

Sendoh smiled. "Very competitive." 

***** 

The game had been enjoyable and very educational for Shohoku, who were now pretty sure that Shoyo would be the first team they'd meet up with. Shoyo had won over Miuradai 101 to 58, and the second half had been rather dull, but what they lacked in court entertainment they made up by observing and criticising every nuance of the Shoyo players for future reference. 

"Why are you so worried about Shoyo, Ryocchin?" Sakura asked, bumping the shorter boy with her shoulder as they walked down the corridor to the exit. "Worried about your height, eh?" 

"Look who's talking," Ryota shot back. 

"Hey look, it's Kainan," Nakajima said softly, almost in awe. 

Sakura looked up and sure enough, the Kainan team were walking in the opposite direction down the corridor, hence heading right toward them. Her crosshairs immediately located a certain small forward with long hair. 

"Sakura, don't do anything funny," Ayako warned her softly. 

"What?" Sakura chirped. 

"Ho ho ho," Anzai-sensei, at the head of their little troupe, greeted. "Good to see you, Kainan. Takatoh-san. Didn't expect to see you here." 

"Likewise, Anzai-sensei," Takatoh said. Smalltalk was kept small, and they started to walk past each other, the players giving simple acknowledging nods to one another. 

Sakura drew her lips into a tight smirk. She drew herself up to her full height, Kiyota was strolling directly toward her, she flexed her torso muscles, ready to stick out her shoulders at the right moment… 

_PAM!_ Sakura widened her eyes innocently as she looked down at the fallen Kiyota. "Oh my, I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there. Did I hurt you?" 

Kiyota scowled as he picked himself up. The expression on his face made it clear that the only reason he wasn't cursing liberally was because she was a girl. "No, don't be silly. Heh heh." 

Sakura grinned as Ayako tugged her arm urgently. "Nice to see you, wild monkey." She turned and walked away, pleased to feel Kiyota's questioning gaze boring into her back. "That was fun," Sakura said. 

"I thought I said not to do anything funny," Ayako hissed. 

"Can we go back now?" Nori whined. 

Suddenly Haruko tugged at the sleeve of Ayako's shirt. "I… I need to go to the ladies' room." 

"I'll come with you!" Sakura volunteered gallantly. "You guys go ahead, we'll catch up." 

"Come to think of it, I think I need to use little boy's room, too," said Nakajima. 

"All right," said Ayako, raising her hands. "Those that need to use the washroom, go now. The rest of us will wait by the exit. Take no more than ten minutes." 

"Hai!" and they scattered. 

The public washroom was pay-to-get-in, and so the fly-broke Sakura hovered outside the entrance as Haruko went in. The boy's bathroom was further down the corridor so, not having anyone to bug, Sakura put a fresh batch of bubblegum into her mouth as she waited alone. 

"Konnichiwa," came a cheerful voice. 

Sakura nearly choked in surprise. "Sendoh-san?" 

The spikey-haired basketball player strolled up to her, hands in pockets. "So how did you find the game?" 

"Oh, it was nothing," said Sakura, waving it off with a flick of her wrist. "Actually I feel sorry for Shoyo if they end up playing against us because we're going to trash them. Hahahahahaha!" 

Sendoh smiled. "I don't believe I know your name." 

"Oh. It's Takemoto Sakura. You better _remember _that name, Sendoh." Suddenly she remembered that she wasn't supposed to tell anyone that she was a player, and quickly shut her mouth. _I am the secret weapon, and I cannot let the Ryonan know about me yet. Heh heh heh…_

"Are you related to Sakuragi Hanamichi?" Sendoh asked. 

The question took her completely by surprise, so chewed a bit on her gum to stall. "Ah well, sort of." 

"You're a lot like him," said Sendoh. He eyes dropped down briefly. "I'm really very sorry about what happened to him." 

Sakura shrugged, trying and failing to muster any fake concern. "Well, yeah… I'm uh… I'm here to support Shohoku now that he's gone." 

Sendoh nodded. "I figured as much." 

_Nani?! You think I'm just a supporter?! No, no, calm down Sakura… Don't let him know who you are… _Sakura laughed a bit, then jabbed a finger at Sendoh's chest. "We're going to beat you, then we're going to win nationals." 

Sendoh looked down at the finger, then back to her face. "Best of luck then, Takemoto-san." He started to leave, but then paused. 

_What now? _Sakura wondered. 

Then, to her complete shock, Sendoh reached out a hand to stroke her cheek with his long fingers. Too surprised to move, Sakura felt the fingers move gently across her skin to rest momentarily at the corner of her mouth before dropping down to her chin. 

As suddenly as it happened, Sendoh pulled away, then laughed while scratching his head. "Gomen, I don't know what happened to me right there. Gomen nasai." 

"Uh…" 

"So, ja ne, Takemoto-san." He smiled cheerfully. 

"Uh…" 

Sendoh walked off and disappeared round the corner. Sakura stared after him, eyes bulging, mouth gaping open so wide that the bubblegum almost fell out. 

"Sakura-chan." Haruko finally stepped out of the ladies' room. "Sakura-chan?" 

"Huh? Oh, Haruko-san." 

"You look pale, Sakura-chan. Are you feeling okay?" 

"No, I'm always okay hahahahaha – ugh!" She accidentally swallowed the bubblegum. 

"Come on, the others should be waiting for us." Haruko patted Sakura gently on the back. "Let's go." 

***** 

Sendoh turned to corner just to be bodily slammed against the wall. 

He blinked rapidly, and found himself looking into the eyes of a very pissed off Rukawa Kaede. Sendoh chuckled. "Rukawa-san, fancy seeing you here." He reached up to pull the other boy's hands off his shirt, but they just tightened their grip. 

"Don't touch her," Rukawa said, his voice dangerously low. 

Sendoh's eyes widened. "Takemoto-san?" There was no point in pretending not to understand. 

Rukawa nodded. 

"Oh, don't worry, she's Shohoku," said Sendoh, looking at him sincerely. "I'm Ryonan, we're rivals. It was a mistake, I didn't mean anything by it, really. Don't need to be so possessive, Rukawa-san." 

Although the motion felt reluctant, Rukawa finally let him go. "Don't touch her." 

"I promise," said the spikey-haired boy, clasping his hands together sincerely. 

Rukawa turned to leave. 

Then Sendoh added cheerfully, "As long as we're on opposing teams." 

***** 

_I'm sure it was nothing_, Sakura told herself on the train ride back home. _Sendoh Akira is just a hentai, he cannot stand looking at a pretty girl. She smirked. Wait 'til he sees that I'm not just a supporter, I'm a player! And not just a player, but a super Basketball Thief!_

"Nyahahahahahahahaha!" 

Nori leaned toward Ryota. "Why does she always laugh for no apparent reason?" 

Ryota shrugged. "She's crazy." 

Sakura relaxed into the seat, feeling better as the thin focus of her already simple-minded brain settled back down. How just like the sneaky Sendoh to confuse her like that. Hah! She'd show him and then he'd think twice about getting all touchy-feely with pretty girls. 

She looked up. "What are you staring at, kitsune?" 

"Hmph." 

_Huh, the kitsune's jealous of me, too_, Sakura thought. _He knows I'm going to upstage him in the upcoming game, heh heh heh. _Out loud, she told him, "Yes, you have _every _reason to be afraid, kitsune. Don't you forget it." 

Rukawa eyes shifted briefly, but before Sakura could detect what they meant, he turned away.   
  



	3. Part 3

  
**Ore Wa Tensai Sakura: Midway**   
Part 3 

by Annie D   
the_80s_chick@lycos.com 

  
  


And then, finally, the day of the final block match was there. Sure enough, the team they were up against was Shoyo. 

Sakura, although declaring to herself every five seconds that she was the tensai and nothing would stop her from beating Shoyo down flat, felt very nervous. And, technically, it was her first game. It was like being a newcomer all over again. 

Not to mention Shohoku were defending their position as the second best team in Kanagawa. Shohoku success in the previous year had been unexpected, and she'd be damned before they lost everything Akagi, Mitsui and Kogure had worked for. 

In their locker room of the sports centre, the Shohoku basketball team nursed their jitters among themselves. 

"Sakura-chan," Ayako said softly, appearing in front of her. "Your jersey." 

Sakura looked down and took the small red cloth. She carefully unfolded it and smiled. "Arigato, Ayako." 

"Are you ready?" Anzai-sensei asked from the doorway. 

There was a chorus of, "Hai!" 

***** 

Sendoh Akira, along with the rest of his Ryonan crew, were in the audience of the Shohoku-Shoyo game. Hikoichi was blabbing away alongside Taoka-sensei, as per usual, but Sendoh kept his eyes on the double doors from which the Shohoku team would step out of. 

"The Shoyo team!" the announcer boomed over the sound system. The team donned in green stepped onto the arena. 

"The Shohoku team!" and the double doors opened to allow the red-donned team into the arena. 

"Ah, finally!" Hikoichi exclaimed. "This will be a great game, don't you think, Taoka-sensei?" 

Koshino was the first to notice and he announced loudly, "Look, they've got a girl on their team!" 

"Nani?!" Hikoichi's leaned against the railing to get a better look. 

Ryota led the way, being captain and all. Ayako and Haruko were there, but they were in civilian clothes, and they flanked Anzai-sensei toward the bench. And there in their red jerseys: 11, 5, 6, 12, 8, 7, 16, 13, 14, and then 10, which was on a jersey worn by the red-head girl Takemoto Sakura. 

"I didn't know they allowed girls to play," Hikoichi said, turning to Taoka-sensei. 

"They must have appealed to the board," Taoka replied, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "She must be really something for Anzai-sensei to want on his team." 

"Yo-check-ya!" Hikoichi chirped. 

Sendoh smiled. He had known she was on the team all along. 

"Oooooh! What was her name again, Sendoh-san?" Hikoichi asked eagerly, pen poised over the page of his book. 

"Takemoto Sakura," said Sendoh. 

"Takemoto Sakura," Hikoichi echoed as he wrote it down. "Shohoku number… 10. Wait, wasn't that Sakuragi's number? And she's a red-head, too. Wow, what coincidence!" 

Sendoh nodded. "Indeed." He watched as Anzai-sensei spoke to the team members. They all nodded, then leaned forward for a huddle. 

"Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!" 

The Shohoku team dispersed onto court. 

And Sendoh had to admit, the game was really something worth watching. (No play-by-play, because this writer is no basketball expert.) Rukawa was the new Centre – not much of a surprise there – and eventhough the Shoyo Centre was slightly taller than him, he took quick advantage, and the game smoothly started at Shohoku's pace. Not constantly, of course, as there were times that Shoyo took over, and it was quite a close game throughout. 

Takemoto Sakura herself had quickly been given the spotlight because of her gender and her hair. She also paused many times in the middle of the game to yell at someone (a friend or a stranger in the audience, or a friend or foe player on the court, it didn't seem to make any difference) but performed really well as a backup point guard and also having her fair share of action under the basket. Sendoh noted that she certainly didn't run like a girl, what with the open-palm wide-bounding stride she had. In fact, her easily-distracted playing style reminded him of a certain other player. 

One particular highlight was when a Shoyo player made a charging foul against her, a foul that consisted of accidental contact between his hands and her, um, bum region. As the referee whistle blew in the background, Sakura turned around slowly, her face a very fetching shade of bright red. 

"Hentai!" she screamed, charging toward the player who looked terrified out of his wits. It took Ryota and Nakajima to pull Sakura back and calm her down. 

The other players did well, too. Rukawa was Rukawa, did his thing and impressed everyone every chance he got, making Sakura fume and his brigade cheer. Sendoh noted, as perhaps only a few others would, that Rukawa's playing style had changed ever so slightly. He was passing the ball more and being less of a glory hog. Sakura didn't notice and took every chance she could to insult him. 

Ryota was a surprisingly good captain and with brief words or gestures got his teammates to move at the pace he wanted. The freshmen Nakajima and Nori did pretty well, too, with the former scoring quite a few three-pointers to take the lead from Shoyo at times. 

Even when former Captain and vice-Captain Fujima and Hanagata made cameo appearances in the audience to boost their team's morale, Shoyo didn't have a chance. 

And in the end, Shohoku won 74 to 61. 

***** 

The next week went by pretty quickly. The euphoria of winning the block match lasted throughout their practices, but soon the weight of the oncoming final league match pressed down on them. 

"It's against Ryonan," Ayako told them. "Ryonan had beat Kainan in their own block match and we're facing off against them now. Although both winners go to IH, we want to be the best, don't we?" Ayako paused. "_Don't we_?!" 

"Hai!" the team shouted. 

Simultaneously, Rukawa and Sakura scowled. _Sendoh_… 

"So let's practice!" Ryota shouted, clapping his hands. "We beat Ryonan and we're the best in Kanagawa, then on to the nationals!" 

***** 

Haruko wrung her hands nervously as she glanced from player to player in the locker room. The final league match was there at last, and the tension in the room was so thick one could cut it with a knife (pardon the cliché). 

Sakura, whom everyone had expected to be more irritable and annoying that usual, had gone over the other side into complete silence. The only evidence she was still alive was her mechanical motion of popping her bubblegum. 

Rukawa was sitting near the back of the locker room, not asleep, but just staring off into nothingness. 

Ryota would have been also doing his brooding, had he not been the captain. It was his job to make the players relax, and he did so by talking to each of them one by one, giving them last minute reminders and the such. 

Haruko kneaded her palms in nervousness. Should she talk to Rukawa or shouldn't she? Well, she was the assistant team manager after all, and perhaps a few words of encouragement would help him. But then, he'd never really paid her much attention. But on the other hand, he had told her – HER – about his idea of training Sakura as a point guard, so maybe he did notice her, or maybe… 

Oh,what the hell. 

She carefully walked across the room to the small bench opposite Rukawa and sat there. "Rukawa-kun?" 

He looked at her. 

_Wow, his eyes are so blue… _She willed herself not to blush, but did anyway. "You will do your best today, right?" 

It took a moment, but he nodded slowly. 

She smiled shyly. "I just wanted to… to thank you for coming back to Shohoku. I know you want to be the best, and it's just so amazing that you left the All-Japan team when I know that was your dream to join and everything…" _Oh no, I'm babbling! _"…so I just, well… thank you." 

Rukawa blinked slowly. "I did it for the team." 

Before Haruko could reply, Anzai-sensei spoke from the doorway. "Ready?" 

*****   
As the double doors opened, the roar of the audience hit them in full force. Sakura looked up, and between the lights and banners, she was able to spot her best mates Yohei, Takamiya, Noma and Ohkosu waving at her with empty soft drink bottles. 

"Everyone, look!" Haruko said suddenly, pointing. 

They all looked to the particular spot in the audience stands that she was pointing at. Sitting there, watching them with proud smiles, were the ex-members of their team: Akagi Takenori, Mitsui Hisashi and Kogure Kiminobu. 

"Ganbatte, Shohoku!" Kogure shouted at them. 

Sakura grinned. _I am the tensai. Ryonan doesn't stand a chance. _She rubbed her hands together eagerly. 

Rukawa walked past her. "You better not mess up." 

"Nani?! The tensai never messes up!" Sakura shouted back. "You will know the true power of the tensai, kitsune!" 

"Hey, Sakura!" Yohei shouted from the stands. 

She looked up. "Hai?" 

Yohei pointed at somewhere down the stands, and Sakura turned to look. A bunch of girls were waving at her, and they were carrying a banner that read: ITE ITE SAKURA! GIRL POWER! A little further down a bunch of guys were also waving a banner that read: SAKURA - THE SHOHOKU FIRE! Not too far away, the Rukawa brigade (which had greatly multiplied in members) were looking slightly peeved at the banners and retaliated by cheering even louder for their beloved Rukawa. 

Tears flooded Sakura's eyes. "I have fans… Nyahahahahaha, do you see that, kitsune?!" 

"They're as useless as you are, do'aho." 

"Nani?!" 

"Woi, everyone!" Ryota shouted, clapping his hands together to get their attention. "Huddle!" 

Anzai-sensei looked at each of them, his eyes careful behind their spectacles. "Starting line-up is Rukawa, Miyagi, Nakajima, Nori and Takemoto." 

"Hai!" they chorused. 

"Rukawa, you will balance out Sendoh. Nori, back-up Rukawa's defense as often as you can. Nakajima, you will guard under the basket. Takemoto, you back-up Miyagi's lead and get the far-away rebounds." 

"Hai!" 

Anzai-sensei smiled. "Good luck." 

"Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!" 

They stepped onto the court and took their positions, each Ryonan and Shohoku taking a few moments to regard their opponent. Rukawa and Sendoh walked up to one another in the centre and regarded each other. Rukawa did the whole _I'm-going-to-beat-you _glare while Sendoh gave his trademark _I'm-nice-even-to-my-rivals _smile. 

"Shohoku against Ryonan, game start!" 

***** 

"They're evenly matched," Kogure told Akagi and Mitsui. "Although that goes without saying." 

"Just like last year," Akagi said. 

"Rukawa's certainly a worthy adversary against Sendoh," added Kogure. "And it's almost as if Sendoh is enjoying the challenge." 

"It's practically a stand-off," Akagi said. 

"I'm sure you're pretty impressed the Ryota got the team together," Mitsui told Akagi. "He may be even a better captain then you were." 

"Hmph," Akagi grunted. 

"Have you noticed that Rukawa plays differently now?" Kogure asked as he adjusted his specs. 

"Yes," said Akagi, who crossed his arms. "He's more of a team player." 

"See, Ryota could do it, while you couldn't," Mitsui taunted. 

The senior trio hushed down as they watched the plays. The score itself refused to stretch between the two teams, even until the final few minutes of the game drew near. 

"How long left?" Akagi asked, his voice almost a little too calm to be true. 

"Under two minutes," said Kogure, who had stolen a glance at the board. "54 to 53, Shohoku's favour." 

"Even Sakura has adapted well," said Kogure. "It was a good idea to make her a back-up point guard." 

(Let us assume that Haruko told them the entire deal about Sakura being Sakuragi and they accepted it without much question, aight?) 

"She still can't make long shots, though," said Mitsui. 

"Mitsui, why do you keep putting them down?!" Kogure snapped. "It's obvious they worked hard, and they're doing very well." He paused. "Oh I know, you're upset they're doing so well even though you're not in the team anymore." 

Mitsui hmphed. Kogure smirked. 

"Rebound!" Akagi shouted as the ball rebounded off the Shohoku hoop. Rukawa got it and dunked. 

"56 to 53, then," said Kogure. He smiled at the sight of Sakura spit-shouting at Rukawa, who ignored her as usual. 

"Ryonan fast attack," Akagi murmured. "Sendoh wants to get back." 

"Whoa, look at that!" Kogure exclaimed. "Koshino shoots as well as you, Micchy!" 

Mitsui gritted his teeth. "I told you not to call me that anymore." 

"They're even now," said Akagi. He looked at the board. "Barely a minute left. This is it." 

***** 

"Just keep your focus," Ryota told his players whom had all gathered into a final huddle. "We're stronger than them. Right?!" 

"Hai!" they chorused. But their exhaustion was apparent. 

Ryota clasped Sakura's elbow carefully as the others dispersed into their positions. She looked at him. "Ryocchin?" 

"You have the better stamina than me and the others," he said, although the muscle under his left eye twitched as though it pained him to say it. "They will follow your guide if you show them you're not tired. Scare Ryonan." 

Sakura's eyes twinkled. "Hai! You can count on me!" 

Ryota went and took the ball, then raised his finger above his head. "Let's make this one count!" 

Shohoku made their final attack. Ryota dribbled forward, carefully avoiding the Ryonan players who had moved block him. Just as Sendoh started toward him with eyes locked on to steal the ball, Ryota tried to pass to Rukawa. 

Key word being tried. A sophomore Ryonan stole the ball (the audience screamed) and there was a quick pass to Sendoh. The Shohoku players stumbled a bit in the sudden change in direction, which Ryonan took to advantage. 

But then superstar Sendoh found Sakura was running alongside him, eyes all a-blaze. 

"That's our ball, Sendoh!" she shouted, and dived for it. 

_Not today, Takemoto_, Sendoh thought, and side-stepped her attempted steal. 

Sakura tripped slightly as she was caught off-guard by Sendoh's sudden change in direction, but her left arm flew out and hit the ball away from his grip, just barely missing Sendoh's fingers. "Get the ball!" she shouted as she fell down. "Wait, oh no, not—" 

Rukawa caught the ball, and the game changed direction again to Shohoku's side. 

"No, no, no, no, not Rukawa!" Sakura shrieked, quickly jumping up and running back. 

The audience was screaming. Rukawa, a running contradiction of burning cool, charged toward the Shohoku hoop. 

Sakura cursed. _I want to win, but not because of him!_

Rukawa leaned back, ready to make the final shot. Sendoh and another Ryonan player appeared in front of him, ready to defend. 

"Rukawa, watch out!" Ryota shouted. 

Rukawa's knees bunched. Sendoh and the other player jumped, hands oustretched. 

But it was a fake, and the ball went to Nakajima who was on the other side of the defense line. Nakajima started, surprised that Rukawa had passed to him. 

"Shoot! Shoot!" 

The ball sailed… SWISH. 

The buzzer signalled the end of the game. 

"Shohoku wins 58 to 56!" 

Everybody screamed. Sakura jumped up and down, shouting meaningless things at the top of her lungs. Ayako, Haruko and the other Shohoku players ran out onto court for group hugs. Ryota patted Rukawa on the back, commending him for the great pass. 

Rukawa shrugged. "For the team." 

Not too far away on the court, Sakura was doing her happy dance. "We won we won we won we won! Haruko-san, we won!" 

"You were great, Sakura-chan!" Haruko exclaimed, bouncing with her. "That was an amazing steal, and from Sendoh no less." 

"Oh, it was nothing," Sakura said, scratching behind her head. She felt a hand rest on her shoulder, and turned to see Sendoh looking at her.   
Sakura grinned. "Don't expect me to apologise for beating you, Sendoh-san." 

Sendoh smiled. "I don't expect anything less." He reached out a hand. "Congratulations, Takemoto-san." 

Sakura looked at his hand. Well, there wasn't much point in being angry at him anymore, since he had lost and she wouldn't be playing against him next year. She took the hand and shook it firmly. "Nice playing, Sendoh-san." 

Sendoh nodded, then turned to shake hands with Haruko, Ryota and the rest of the team (except Rukawa, who was still Rukawa). 

The cheering swarmed around them, and Sakura felt her cheeks were going to cramp because she was smiling so much. Then she leaned back and shouted at the world in general, "Ore wa tensai basketball Sakura!"   
  



	4. Part 4

  
**Ore Wa Tensai Sakura: Midway**   
Part 4 

by Annie D   
the_80s_chick@lycos.com 

  
  


They had won against Ryonan and had become the best team in Kanagawa, but… 

They lost the first match of the Inter High league. 

It was a slim margin, but still a loss. 

Anzai-sensei had consoled all of them in that quiet way of his. After all, it was bad luck that their first match in the league had been against Rokin, who were the defending national champions. Ayako, Ryota and the other seniors were depressed as it was their final year in Shohoku, but knew that such things couldn't be helped, and they were still proud that they had truly tried their best. Haruko had cried a bit, but she knew that she still had the next year to make up for it and after all, they had done rather well against the current champions of Rokin, and that was saying something. 

Rukawa blamed himself as he always did. 

Sakura blamed herself as she always did. 

***** 

School continued as usual for the team, who were feeling down about not being able to play the rest of the season, but were cheered up a bit when other students congratulated them on being the best in Kanagawa. Being the best surely made up for the loss and humiliation, didn't it? 

Rukawa did his brooding, telling himself that it had been his fault et cetera. Shohoku should have gone further. Shohoku should have won nationals. 

But despite the brooding thing, he did manage to notice that Sakura hadn't attended school since the lost game, which made it a total of four days so far. Four days of absentees, and he hadn't seen her wandering around town either. 

_Stupid girl, blaming herself as usual_, he thought. He settled down in his chair in his class and leaned forward to sleep. Around him students buzzed in the normal break time mess. 

He hadn't gone a few minutes before his Sakura radar woke him up. Voices just outside the class indicated that the gundam friends of hers were just hanging around the corridor. 

"Have you seen Sakura?" The voice belonged to Yohei, Sakura's best friend. "Did she skip school again?" 

"I guess she did," said Ohkosu. 

"Do you think she'll shave her head?" Takamiya asked. "You know, like last time when they lost against Kainan?" 

Rukawa didn't change his comfortable position of leaning forward into his crossed arms on the desk, instead just imperceptibly moving closer toward the sounds of the gundam so he could listen without them knowing he was awake. 

"Who knows?" Yohei said. 

"What a shame, I really liked her hair," said Noma. 

"Are you talking about Sakura?" Rukawa recognised this new voice belonging to Akagi's sister. 

"Hai," said Yohei. 

"I'm really worried," Haruko said. "She hasn't been to class for four days in a row. Have you guys seen her?" 

"We haven't looked," said Takamiya. "She'll be in a horrid mood now, we don't want to get beaten up just yet." 

"She could be depressed," Haruko said. 

"She always does that," Yohei said softly. "Blaming herself whenever something goes wrong." 

"But it wasn't her fault that we lost!" Haruko exclaimed. 

Rukawa nodded mentally. _It was my fault. Not hers._

"It wasn't anybody's fault." This voice belonged to Ayako. "We all worked hard together equally, and it wasn't any individual person's fault that we lost. If Sakura wants to get all silly and blame herself for something she has no right to take responsibility for, that's her business." 

"Ayako!" Haruko exclaimed. 

"It's true," said Ayako. "We all worked hard together. Who is she to claim that it's solely her fault that we lost? It's our fault. We're a team, we take the win or we take the fall. Together." 

_We're a team… We take the win or we take the fall… Together._

Rukawa suddenly remembered what Sakura had told him before the Inter High had started. _You play for yourself, not for the team._   
His memory rewinded itself to the three games they had played. What Sakura had said to him had subconsciously changed his playing style, and it surprised him that he hadn't noticed it before. _It's different now. Both of us used to play for ourselves, but not anymore. We play for the team. We play with other people, not just among them.___

_We take the win or we take the fall… Together.___

_We have no right to take sole responsibility._

The epiphany popped a metaphorical lightbulb in his head, and Rukawa sat up suddenly, causing everyone around to jump in surprise. 

"Rukawa?" Ayako said. 

_We take the win or we take the fall, together. _Rukawa looked at the team manager and nodded. Then he stood up and ran out of class. 

***** 

So what if he got caught for skipping class in the middle of the day? He had skipped class dozens of times before, but only to take refuge on the school roof where he could sleep without being bothered (much). He just hadn't any reason to leave campus because to him anywhere was the same when it came to napping. 

Only now for the first time he had a real, solid reason to leave. 

The bike swerved dangerously past a moving car, but Rukawa wasn't even aware of how the driver was cursing wildly at him. It was unfortunate that Rukawa's bike-riding skills were hardly improved even when he was awake, but he always managed to cope somehow. 

_There you are._

The Kanagawa beachside front park basketball court. Quite a distance from school, so it wasn't much of a surprise that Sakura hadn't been spotted so far. 

She was lying stomach down on a foot-wide concrete fence-wall, arms dangling limply on both sides, head facing away from him and toward the ocean-line. Rukawa jumped off his bike, ignoring the clatter it made on the pavement, and strode up to her. 

"Sakura." Rukawa realised that it was the first time that he had called her by that name. 

"Go away." She didn't bother to turn, and made no acknowledgement that she knew who he was. 

"Sakura. It's not your fault." 

Painfully slow, Sakura sat up and turned her head to look at him. (At least she hadn't shaved her head.) It was just a look, not the usual glare she bestowed him with. Her brown eyes were tired, and looked as though they had no more energy to manage anything other than a near-dead stare. She sighed, then turned to look at the oceanline again. 

Rukawa clenched his fists angrily, then reached out and pushed her, causing her to fall off the fence and onto the bike pavement. She picked herself weakly then just sat there on the pavement quietly, ignoring him. 

He hopped over the fence and kneeled down next to her. 

"Do'aho." 

"I want to be depressed, can you go somewhere else?" 

Rukawa clenched his teeth. _This isn't you, Sakura! Where's the fighting spirit? You're supposed to hit me, or curse me, or something!_

He slapped her. _Fight me._

Sakura flinched and blinked rapidly. Then, slowly, she lifted her eyes to look into his. "Go away." 

He slapped her again. _Fight me!_

Sakura's right eye started to twitch. 

_Yes, that's it. Come back. Fight me._

"You think you're the only one that's so important?" Rukawa asked. "We win together and we lose together. As a team." 

"What do _you _know about being a team, kitsune?!" Sakura shouted, her hands drawing into fists. "What would you oh-look-at-me-I'm-the-super-rookie-I-have-so-many-fans bla bla bla bla bla know about being in a team?!" 

"It means you share the joy and the pain," Rukawa told her matter-of-factly. 

"Hah!" Sakura snapped. 

Rukawa stood up. "If you really cared, you'd work to make the team win next year, not brood around like this. Do'aho." 

Sakura screamed and leapt toward him. 

Rukawa grunted slightly as she punched him in his stomach. He fought back by shoving at her and kicking her in the shins, although he made sure that he wouldn't particularly hurt her (which wasn't really likely anyways). 

_There you are, Sakura. Fight me._

"Kitsune!" Sakura's fist went flying and hit him just under his left cheekbone. The other fist struck him in the stomach again, sending him stumbling back. 

He paused to take a breath, then kicked her again. Sakura yelped in pain, but then punched him a few more times in various regions of his upper thorax and face. 

This seemed enough for Sakura, and life was back into those brown eyes of hers. She glared. 

Rukawa smiled. Not physically, but mentally. _This is who you are. Alive and burning._

"Baka," Sakura snarled, leaning against the concrete face to gather back her breath. She glared at him, her eyes the way he knew they should be. He glared right back, ignoring the pain within the various places where she had hit him. 

"Next year. I'll get you, kitsune," she muttered, before turning around and leaving. 

_You already have me, Sakura._   
  
  


FIN 


End file.
